It was discussed a little bit awhile ago. The prevailing idea on the men's side is that the WIAC will ask the current men's NCHA members to join the WIAC (St. Scholastica and St Norbert). If they did that on the men's side, those teams would most likely come on the women's side as well. It would be nice to see all of the wisconsin schools to join the WIAC for women's hockey...that would be the four UW's, SNC, Marian, CUW and then CSS would be there giving us 8 teams and an autobid...this would leave Adrian, Finlandia, and Lake Forest out in the cold....Maybe bring Lake Forest on to the WIAC as well.
I wouldn't be shocked to see Finlandia's women's program fold in this case...maybe Adrian could replace RIT in the ECAC-W once they jump to D1?
It would be interesting if the rumors of the SUNYAC forming a women's conference came true as well. I believe Suny-Canton is adding hockey in the next couple years which would make 6 SUNYAC teams with women's hockey..if one of the other SUNY's that have a men's team created a women's would they split off? Leaving Chatham, Utica, Neumann, RIT(?) out in the cold.